10.06.11 VIEW Partnership Marketing Task Force summary notes

San Joaquin Valley Energy Leader Partnership (VIEW)

PARTNERS MARKETING TASKFORCE SUMMARY NOTES October 6, 2011 | 9:00 a.m.

County of Tulare RMA, RMA Main Conference Room 5961 South Mooney Boulevard, Visalia, California 93277

Attendees: Lou Camara, City of Hanford Kim Loeb, City of Visalia Gail Henry, County of Tulare

Courtney Kalashian, SJVCEO Maureen Hoff, SJVCEO Hammad Chaudhry, SCE

Mark Okino, SCE Cal Rossi, SCE Paulo Morais, So Cal Gas

Location: County of Tulare, RMA, RMA Main Conference Room, 5961 South Mooney Boulevard, Visalia, California, 93277 Time: 9:00 a.m.

Next Meeting: Thursday, March 1, 2011 Location: County of Tulare, RMA, RMA Main Conference Room, 5961 South Mooney Boulevard, Visalia, California, 93277 Agenda Topics for October 6, 2011 1. Welcome 2. Marketing Plan a. Review updates to document b. Looking forward to 2012 3. Proposed Events 4. Next Steps SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION: Welcome Courtney Kalashian called the meeting to order at 9:00am.

Marketing Plan Courtney began the meeting with discussion of what’s to come for marketing, education, and outreach over the remainder of the year and in 2012. The Partnership will adopt and put its own spin on the High Sierra Energy Foundation’s ‘Did You Know’ advertising campaign which addresses different energy facts to promote energy savings. Kim Loeb expressed concern over the cost and effectiveness in using print media, such as the Visalia Times Delta. Paulo Morais agreed and said that many of the smaller ethnic groups have their own radio stations and could be reached that way. Gail Henry thought she had heard a Thursday edition of the paper was still popular. Hammad Chaudhry suggested looking into leaving flyers at the ethnic markets around town. Courtney ensured that time and effort will be put into making sure the information gets where it needs to go in a cost effective manner.

Kim added that the Engage 360 office in Visalia is very energetic and has a lot of people on the ground.

We want to make sure we are enhancing their efforts and coordinating rather than competing with them, especially since we are all sending the same message. Paulo agreed noting that Engage 360 is

San Joaquin Valley Energy Leader Partnership (VIEW) supposed to be a clearing house for information and that it has a significant budget. It would be wise to leverage what they are already doing and take Partnership funds and be more targeted in our efforts.

Courtney added that the Partnership’s mission is to educate jurisdiction employees and then the community and we will need to do it in a grassroots manner in order to target it specifically to this region.

Hammad noted that the Mobile Education Unit (MEU) will be more difficult to reserve next year than it has been in the past. Maureen Hoff will reserve the second MEU unit for all 2012 events that require it as soon as possible.

Maureen and Courtney will finalize the 2012 Marketing Plan, including information about core program support, and send it to Hammad as soon as possible.

Paulo asked if there were any other opportunities or interest in adding an additional event in the Visalia area. Everyone agreed that it is best to avoid additional Earth Day events because it is like preaching to the choir. Kim and Gail suggested looking into some of the downtown events or flea markets. Maureen will do some research and see what events are going on in Fall of 2012 in or around Visalia.

Courtney also discussed how a focus for the coming year will be on an energy awareness campaign. The idea is that most people spend the majority of their time in their office so there is a need to encourage behavioral changes to help decrease energy use. Employees who don’t see or pay the energy bills are less inclined to be energy efficient. Kim added that until there is some kind of feedback regarding their actions, the employees won’t know how much of an impact they make because they are too disconnected. He hopes that benchmarking will help in that it allows for the monitoring of energy use.

Courtney referenced an existing program model that was developed by the military in which homeowners were encouraged, through behavior modification tactics, to take ownership of their energy use even when they weren’t paying for it. Gail said she has found within the county offices where consciousness has changed it is because ‘it is the right thing to do’ and not because it is an order from management; however, it is also important to get management on our side through education. For example, VIEW was scheduled to have a booth at the Tulare County Health Fair in September but it was pulled because the event was scaled back and it wasn’t considered as important of a topic as other booths. Paulo had the idea of offering to put on an energy fair for county employees and suggested locations included a parking lot, county museum, and library.

Proposed Events In addition to the usual events in which VIEW participates, Courtney mentioned that the partnership plans to have a booth at the U.S. Green Building Council’s Valley Go Green Summit in February that will be held at the Energy Education Center in Tulare.

Courtney also updated those in attendance that the Holiday Light Exchange (HLE) has become a SCE ‘core program’, meaning that the program in its entirety will be run through a department in SCE. The new program format will come to holiday-themed events in Visalia and Hanford this holiday season and the SJVCEO will work to ensure that the HLE staff and city staff are in contact. Gail requested flyers for distribution within her office. Lou Camara suggested that SCE could sponsor the holiday tree lighting at the city. He and Hammad will be in touch to discuss.

San Joaquin Valley Energy Leader Partnership (VIEW) Action Items: Maureen will reserve the second MEU unit for all 2012 events that require it as soon as possible.

Maureen and Courtney will finalize the 2012 Marketing Plan, including information about core program support, and send it to Hammad as soon as possible.

Maureen will do research and see what events are going on in Fall of 2012 in or around Visalia.

Hammad will be in touch with Hanford and Visalia city staff regarding the Holiday Light Exchange program.

The next Marketing Taskforce meeting will take place on March 1, 2012.